Beet topper and harvester.



H. E. WUJLMMS.

BEET TOPPER AND HARVES' EP..

r APPLGATION HLM) $011219, 1912. in atand; June 9, will.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

v L. Mw' ai@ H. E. WILLIAMS.

BERT LOPPER AND HARVESTER.

Patented J une 9, 15H4.

Ht H WLLAMS.

BEE-T TOPPER AND HARVESTER.

APPLMUJMON HLBD Nov.

Patented Jung 9, g.

4. SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. WILLIAMS,

BERT TOPPER AND HARVESTER.

APPL-NATION FILED NOV.19, 191?.

Patented June 9, QI-.

L SHEETS-SHEET ifi y ammala.

UNITEDSraine nerr-@me noWARn E. WILLIAMS, ori-corrieron, (neuronale.

BEET TOPER AN .HARVESTE 1,099,414. l Specification of renal-gruene.

Patented niie 9, 1914.

Applicaagn.meenvvember is, wie. `sern No, 732,38?.

VMto the height and size of the beets.

CAT

-A further object of the invention is to provide for `forcing andholding the beet topsinposition to be effectively operated upon by thecutters..y y :1,.Anotl1er object ot' the invention' is to providev forthrowing the severed tops away from the beets so as; to leave a clearpath for the pulling operation.

`Other objects of the pear hereinafter. y

The accompanying drawings illietrate an invention' Wili apltlierent'o:Figure l is a side elevation ofthe machine; Fig: '2 is ka. plan thereof.Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the forward port-ion of the machine.''Fig'. iis a section on line` what in Fig 2, "Figf is a rear view ofthel cutting devices,"- Fig. 6 is a section on line .r6-h6 in'Fig. 5.vFig. 7 is a central longitudinal Section of the forward portion of themachine. Fig; 8 is a perspective view of thesupp'orting means for thecutter. y The machine is provided with a frame i, mounted on rearAWheels 3 and forward wheels i so as to be movable over the field,said'rear wheels being preferably rota tively l mounted on a shaft 2 andconnected thereto by pawl and ratchet Ymeans 5, 5', 'so as to cause theshaft to turn with the Wheels in the-forward movement of the machine,ybut allow the wheels to turn Without turningthe shaft in backwardmovement of the mal chine` The sl aft 2 is rotatably mounted in bearings(i in the frame l and is connected to I'Ji'isitiifely drive 'thecutting` devices hereinafter doscribed At its forward end .the frame lis provided with lineansioi" enabling` the machine to be drawn forward,said means consiating, for example, of a. draft bar 9, adapted toconnect. any suitable draft "il-leans" saches the dou/blorree of a teamor the couplingof a tractiony engine, Asaid draft embodiment of theinvention, and referring l freine by a bolt l1, inserted in any one ofthe f series of' perforations 131m' a plate 14 on the frame i." leverMini/cred on the frame r l engages in a slot i6 in the draft 'bar 9 andis connected bya rod i? to alever 18 mounted on the frame i, a. segmentrack 19 being provided to hold said iever 18 in any desired position,whereby the draft bar 9 may ybe held at any desired angular position soas to control the line of draft. The forward swivel supports 2O havingarms :2 connected together by a cross bar and a lever 23 pivotedon theframe 1 is connected to.s'aid cross bar and to a rod 2i whichv isconframe l in position to be opera-ted by the driver or `the machine.Said steeringlever 25 is preferably adapted to he operated by the feetof the driver, said lever being pis@ oted at 26 on `the frame l directlyin iront of h 28 at each side adapted to he engagedby the driveras feet.l

The cutting devices are mounted in a frame 30 which is mounted on dieframe i to swing' in a vertical plane7 said' frame beingA U-shaped 'andhaving its side bars pivotally` mounted on a cross shaft 32 ei:- tending'transversely oi' the frame 1 and journaled in bearings 33 in saidframe. The YAde bars of the frame 30 are extended forwardly o" saidsupporting shaft 32 and a counter-Weight 35 is connected to said sidebars, for vardly ot' `said shaft. so as' to coi'mtenbalancc the Weightyof the cutting devices to any desired extent.' T he cutting devicescomprise cutters for severing the beet tops, and a presser member forengag ing with the beet tops to hold the same hack againstl the` cuttersand to determine the heighty of the cutters.

`t of disksg preferably dished and having sharp cutting,- edges acting`as circular knives, said utters being mounted on shaft-s 238 extending.vertically and journaled in the frame 3U. 'Said Shafts; carry bevelpinions 4G at heir upper ends engaged hy bevel wheels lll on atransverse shaft 4Q journaled iii heal-inge i3 on frame 80, said shaftL'l2 carrying a sprocket heel conn nected by a chain 4G with a sprocketWheel 47 on the supporting' shaft of iframe 30. Said shai'tf alsocarries a sprocket wheel 50 connectedby a chain 5i with a sprocket 9being "ewingingly connected to the 'wheel 52 oirtlie sha- 2 for therunning e drivers Seat 2T, 'and having portionsv The cutters 37 con-AWheelsv eare mounted on the iframe l by f 1' nected to a steering lever25 mounted on the wheels 3, so that the forward operation of..

said running wheels, the cutters will be positively rotated and theproportions `and relations of the aforesaid gear connections are", suchthat the cutting edges of the lcutters] are driven rearwardly at a speedconsiderably, greater than the forward movement of the machine 4'so thatthe said cutting edges liave"a direct draw-cuttingI action. on the beettops. i Y

The A.presser mem-ber is shownasa wheel ,y or rotler 54 carried by ashaft 55 )ou'raled ina frame 5G which is pivotally mounted at 4on thebars 57 bv bolts G'lfjengaging in bolt holes (321 in said `bars. vvA srinnr 64 isconnected4 to the frame 56-aforesaid'f1ndto a; cross bar65'on frame 30 tending to hold the frame 56 downwardly so ras to' causethe presser wheel or roller 54 to bear on the beet tops with' ,iyielding pressure, said spring being of sufficient strength to cause theframe 3() and the parts carried thereb to be lifted as a whole when thepresser w ieel or roller 54 islizfted, but enabling said presser Wheel-to yield independently of the' frame 3() under certain conditie-11s,"ashereinafter set forth. VSiieh independent movement of the. resser wheeland its carryingframe 56 is e ected by controlling arms G6 carried byy,shafts'G7 extending ,vertically and ','oiirn'aled in bearingsGSFontlie frame 30, .said shafts being provided with arms (39 at theirupper ends, connected by links 70 to an-equalizing lever 71 which ispivoted at 72 on the presser wheel frame 5G, so that either of saidcontrolling arms in moving laterally, tends to move the other arm in thesame direction, but when each of said arms is moved simultaneously in-oplios'i't'e directions, for examplefin' being forced outward byengaging with a large beet, they will operate Vthrough the equalizinglever 71 to turn the frame 5G rearwardly on its pivotal supports 58 andelevate the presser wheel with relation to the cutters. Springs ,G3connected to the respective arms 69, anni to cross bar G5, tend to holdthe equalizing lever 71 and arms (3G in normal posit-ion, in which saidarms have their rear ends close together and directly in front of thelpoint of contact of the ciiiteis,tlie arms being curved or inclinedinwardly toward the rear to form a converging `guide for engaging thebeets. Means are provided for lifting the frame 3() and the cuttingdevices earried thereby bodily off the lground, for example, when themachine is to. be moved over the field without cutting, such means allywith ,tliefdis'ks and rotate comprising a lifting lever 73"With acontrol ling segment rack 74 and operating through rod 75, a bell crank53 connected by `c`liain 48 with the rear endcf frame 30. Cutters 37referably contact at their edges only, and to lieep them in sharpcondition, grinding means 76 such as emery wheels, are preferablyprovided, mounted on brackets 77 on frame 30, such ,wheels engagl-irtigp. frictionereby.

'Walls or shields 78 are provided at each -side of the presser wheel,said walls converging rearwardly to guide the beet tops under thepresser wheel. Detlectors 78 79 are rovided at the rear'v ofithecutteis,curved or ent to one 'side so as to form a passage for throwing orguiding the severed tops' to that side, this passageway having a bottom49. The cutters 37 are preferably mountedv on shafts 38 by a universaljoint 36 ctmgect ing each shaft 38 with a shaft-38', carrying thecorresponding cutter, and shaft 38 `tfeiii journaled in a bearing 39which is supporte on the frame bars 57 by bolts 44 extending throughsaid frame bars and clamped thereto by nuts 44', said bolts beingpivotally cnnected at 34 to the said bearing 39 for the shaft 38', sothat the cutters can be adjusted inwardly or outwardly rela'ion to eachother ,and can be 'tipped more or' less as required. A `hain 128 runningon' sprocket wheels 129, 130 respectively on shafts 32 and 55 serves todrive the wheel 54.

In connection with the above described beet topping means, I have shownbeet pulling means located at the rear of the beet topping means, saidbeet .pulling means being,- however, not hereclaimed or specificallyde-l scribed, as they form no part ofV my present invention.

The operation is as follows: The machine is drawn over the ground by anysuitable traction means, and the operator or driver seated upon the seat27, manipulates the steering lever 25 and the land or draft l'ver 18 soas to guide, the machine in such manner as to cause the Wheel or roller54 to travel as nearly as ossible, directly over the line of beets. Saidwheel is rotated by its driving connections from the axle or shaft 2 oftheV machine in such manner that the forward portion of the wheel nievesrearwardly faster than the machine is moving forward, whereby the beetsare pressed and held back into contact with the cutters asthe cuttersmove forward. At the same time, the cutters are rotated by the drivingconnections above described, so as to have a positive rearward motionrelatively to the beet at the cutting point, producing a sliding ordraw-cut. In passing over the beets, the hei ht of the cutters isregulated in correspon ence with the height of the beets by the actionof ,the wheel or roller 54 ridin over the tops of the' beets and liftingor owering the cutter frame SObodily in correspondence with the verticalmovement of/said wheel or roller, so that other things being equal, ahigh beet is cut oli at a greater height than a lower 5 beet, thetendency'being, with beets ot' the same diameter, to cut oil' the beetsat a uni form distance below the tops. In casehowever, the beet to betopped is of Ientra large diameter, it is desirable to lower the cutsomewhat so as to remove more of the top,

and this controllingv operation y is performed by operation of the arms6G which, engaging with the sides of the beet, are spread apart by awide beet, and act through their shafts G7, arms 69, links 70 andequalizing lever 7l, to turn the presserframe 56 rearwardly on itspivots 58, so as to lower the cutters relatively to the presser wheel orroller. It will be noted that in easeA of a smaller beet locatedsomewhat to one side of the line of draft, the act-ion on the arms 66will be such as to cause both of said arms to swing to oneside, causingthe equalizing lever 71 to turn on its pivot without eiecting movementof the frame 56, Vso that deviation of the beets from a straight linewill not affect the 'vertical position of the cutters. TheV tops whichare severed in this-'manner are swept or thrown into and throught-hepassageway between thedeflectors 79, 7 9 by the combined action of thewheel or roller 54, and of the cutters and are'ejeetedl at 'one side ofthe machine, leaving the line of topped beets clear :tor operation ofthe pulling means.

' What Iclaim is:

l. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a fra-me, cutters drawnby said frame, height regulating means for. said cutters, adaptedto runon top the beets, means con 40 nesting' said cutters with the heightreguf lating means to raise andl lower the cuttersv the cutters with theheight regulatingr means, Aand means for operating said connecting meansto lower the' cutters relatively to said height regulating means, saidlowering means for the cutters comprising means for engaging with theside of the beet and v controlling the connections between the cuttersand the height regulating means.

3. In a beet topping machine, the combi kby said cutter frame, aregulating trame movably mounted on said cutter frame, height regulatingmeans carried by said reg ulating frame, spring means connecting saidregulating frame with said cutter frame to cause .said vframes to movetogether to raise the cutter means in correspondence with the heightregulating means, arms movably mounted on said cutter frame and adaptedto engage with opposite sides of the beets, and connections between saidarms and said regulating frame to lower the cutter frame relatively tothe height Lregulating means when the saidarms are spread apart.

4. In a beet topping machine, the combination of a machine frame, acutter frame connected to said machine frame and movable verticallythereon, cutter means carried by said cutter frame, ,height regulatingmeans carried by said regulating frame, spring means connecting saidregulating frame with said cutter frame to cause said frames to movetogether to raise the cutter means in correspondence with' the heightregulating means, arms mounted to move independently on said cutterframe and adapted to engage with opposite sides of the beets, andconnections between said arms and said regulating frame to lower thecutter frame relatively to the height regulating means when the saidarms are spread apart, comprising an equalizing lever connected to saidarms and to said regulating frame, and spring means connected to saidequalizing lever to hold the same in normal posit-ion.

5. Ina beet topping machine, the combination of a frame, cutters drawnby said frame, height regulating means for said cutters adapted to runon toppo'f the beets, means connecting said cutters with the heightregulating means to raise and lower the cutters with the heightregulating means,

andV means for operating said connect-ing4 means to lower the cuttersrelatively to said In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand atLos Angeles, California this 13th day of November, 1912. v

HGWARD E. WILLIAMS.

In presence of* Y.

ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, MARTHA M. Lenen.

